2nd Edinburgh International Willem Vis Pre-Moot 2012/13

Over the weekend of 23rd/24th February 2013 Edinburgh Law School hosted the 2nd Willem C Vis Pre-Moot in Edinburgh. The event brought teams from New Zealand, Sweden, France, Germany and Scotland together to practice their performance before proceeding to plead their case at the Annual Willem Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna at the end of March.

The key aim of the Pre-Moot was to provide students with feedback from the profession in an international setting. Eminent QCs, arbitrators, advocates, solicitors, academics responded to the call to act as Moot arbitrators, as did former Moot participants. All kindly gave freely of their time and expertise to support the students, some travelling from afar to join in the Pre-Moot. The high level of participation from the arbitration and legal community makes the Edinburgh Pre-Moot stand out.

Right from the opening of the event by Professor Emeritus Sir David Edward, QC, who is also the Honorary President of the Scottish Arbitration Centre, the atmosphere was charged with excitement and enthusiasm and it was rewarding to see how students assimilated the feedback obtained. Students worked hard throughout the event, but there was also time to discuss, socialise and make new friends. Participants, students and arbitrators, came together on Saturday evening for a reception at the Playfair Library in Old College, to celebrate the success of the event and enjoying each other’s company. There was also time to meet and mingle at the Moot venue as well as over dinners and informal drinks at the Library Bar.

The Pre-Moot was based on the problem for the 20th Vis Moot and consisted of arbitration proceedings in a dispute between parties to a contract for the sale of polo shirts governed by the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods. More details on the problem can be found on our Main Edinburgh Vis Moot site.

All team members gained immensely from the Pre-Moot experience, but particular congratulations are due to the students who received the highest average marks from arbitrators:

  • 1st – Thalie Benveniste (Aix Marseille University)
  • 2nd – Fabian Jäkel (University of Bonn)
  • 3rd – Sabrina Dupont (Aix Marseille University)

Congratulations from all of us at Edinburgh Law School to these students on this fantastic achievement.

The event is only possible due to the generous support of colleagues throughout the profession. The Law School and pre-moot organisers are very grateful to all Pre-Moot arbitrators for enabling this event and for making it such an outstanding success:

  • Iain Aitchison (MDBF FCIArb)
  • Murray Armes (Sense Studio Ltd.)
  • David Bartos (Terra Firma Chambers)
  • Stephen Barber (Former Participant)
  • Daniel Behn (PhD Candidate, Dundee)
  • Prof. Dr. Georg Borges (University of Bochum)
  • Anne-Catherine Cardinaux (Former Participant)
  • Prof. James Chalmers (University of Glasgow)
  • Lútsen de Vries (Former Participant)
  • Neil Dowers (Edinburgh Coach)
  • Hew R Dundas (International Arbitrator)
  • Jerome Finnis (Hogan Lovells International LLP)
  • Shona Frame (MacRoberts LLP)
  • Dr. James Harrison (University of Edinburgh)
  • Katharina Heine (University of Bonn)
  • David Holloway (University of Edinburgh)
  • Robert Howie QC (Faculty of Advocates)
  • Kathryn Hunt (Morton Fraser LLP)
  • Dr. Simone Lamont-Black (University of Edinburgh)
  • Laura Macgregor (University of Edinburgh)
  • Donny Mackinnon (Chartered Arbitrator)
  • John MacLeod (University of Glasgow)
  • Neil Morrison (MBM Commercial LLP)
  • Ugur Erman Ozgur (PhD Candidate, Dundee)
  • Dr. David Parratt (Terra Firma Chambers)
  • Lindy A Patterson QC (Dundas & Wilson CS LLP)
  • Dr. Martin Rauber (Nater Dallafior Rechtsanwälte AG)
  • Lynda Ross (Dundas and Wilson CS LLP)
  • Dr. Veronica Ruiz Abou-Nigm (University of Sheffield)
  • Celeste E. Salinas Quero (Stockholm University)
  • Helen Watts (Axiom Advocates)

Particular thanks also go to Hew Dundas, a Vis Moot supporter par excellence, travelling to the Vienna Moot and its sister event in Hong Kong every year, who shared his Vis Moot expertise with the Edinburgh volunteer arbitrators in the induction into the philosophy and practice of this international competition.

We are also very grateful to our sponsors:

Hogan Lovells International LLP, the Scottish Arbitration Centre, Dundas & Wilson, Terra Firma Chambers and Edinburgh Law School for their generous support.

The 3rd Edinburgh International Willem Vis Pre-Moot is planned for 15th/16th March 2014. Please save the date!

Arbitration practitioners, lawyers or academics with interest in international commercial arbitration and/or international sales law, who would like to be informed/involved in future events and are not yet on our mailing list are encouraged to contact the Edinburgh Vis Moot Organisers.

Check out our PhotoStream on Flickr for photos from the Pre-Moot.